Israeli forces detain 3 Palestinians, handcuff and assault family members in raids

Oct. 25, 2017 1:58 P.M. (Updated: Oct. 26, 2017 5:42 P.M.)

HEBRON (Ma'an) -- Israeli forces carried out search and detention raids in the Hebron-area town of Beit Ummar in the southern occupied West Bank, detaining three Palestinians and assaulting several others on Wednesday at dawn.

Local activist Muhammad Ayyad Awad told Ma’an that Israeli army forces raided the town at dawn and detained Wahid Zamel Abu Maria, 50, a former prisoner who spent 20 years in Israeli prisons and Yousif Bader Mahmoud Ikhlayyil, 37, also a former prisoner who spent four years in Israeli prisons.

According to Awad, Israeli forces assaulted Ikhlayyil in front of his wife and 8-year-old son after they broke down his front door.

Israeli forces also detained Muhammad Ibrahim Abd al-Hamid Abu Maria, 22, a former prisoner who spent two years in Israeli prisons. Israeli soldiers reportedly assaulted Abu Maria, his father, mother, and his siblings Mahdi, 14, Alaa, 23, and Baraa, 18, with the butts of their rifles.

The soldiers handcuffed the family members and left them inside one of the house’s rooms until after the soldiers left, at which time a relative arrived and untied them.

Awad added that Israeli soldiers distributed and hung up fliers demanding locals prevent their children from throwing rocks at Israeli soldiers, threatening to revoke the Israeli work permits of workers from the Abu Maria, Awad and al-Sleibi families.

An Israeli army spokesperson confirmed the three detentions to Ma'an.

Israeli raids in Palestinian towns, villages, and refugee camps are a daily occurrence in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Israel often enforces punitive measures, including revoking permits, on entire Palestinian towns and villages for things such as stone throwing and alleged attacks on Israeli forces.